Running from Love
by tragixlove
Summary: After Bella starts going to Silver High, she falls for Jacob Black. She thinks she is happy, but why can't she get the mysterious Edward Cullen out of her mind?
1. Chapter 1 HW with Jake and Memories

**Disclaimer:** Oh, I wish I owned Twilight. But I obviously don't... damn.

This is my first attempt at some sort of fan fiction. I know it is really short and not really moving anywhere, but I wanted to give it a shot. Basically, Bella is with Jacob at this point of the story. I'm kind of establishing some basic background information in this chapter and… oh yes, Edward is still in the story. We'll just see how Bella/Jake and Bella/Edward turn out…

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I was sitting in one of my kitchen stools writing an essay for Mr. Donovan's class when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I looked up from the scattered pages of English literature homework on the table and saw Jacob Black's face, grinning ferociously at me. I hadn't noticed that his seat had been empty for the past ten minutes.

"Are you done yet, Bells?" he asked me, looking over my shoulder.

"Jacob, I just finished my rough draft. I couldn't possibly be finished this soon." I had no intention of letting him distract me from this paper. I knew that he had been the cause of many unfinished assignments in the past.

I could see an eager look on his face and realized that there was no way he would let me continue working in peace. Once again, I let him act as my distraction.

I smiled in defeat and got out of my seat to stand facing him. "What?"

"Let's take a break and do something."

"Oh? And what did you have in mind?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"How about we run somewhere…" he suggested as he lightly held my face with a boyish grin. I smiled in response to his warm hands on my face. I always felt so comfortable when I could feel the heat from Jacob's hands on my skin.

I should have seen this coming. Jacob always wanted to go running with me. Though I was an extreme klutz, the moment I started to run I seemed to lose all of my embarrassing lack of grace. I actually enjoyed the rush I got from running. I let out a soft laugh as Jacob leaned in to give me a gentle kiss. After his lips left mine, I sat back down and started to gather my books.

"So is that a yes?" Jacob asked, frowning slightly, confused about my response.

I barely managed to insert all of my pages into my binder when I stood up to meet Jacob's face and gave him a quick kiss.

"Of course," I whispered, "Just let me get changed first."

I could see a smile break out on his face just before I hurried up the stairs to find that the door to my room was open. I didn't think anything of it until I found my running clothes laid out for me on my small bed. That explained Jacob's absence earlier.

* * *

I smiled when I thought about my senior year at Silver High School. I moved to a small suburb near Chicago when I was a junior with my dad Charlie. Charlie and my mom Renee had been separated for the majority of my life and I had been living with my mom for the last 12 years. Charlie was a police officer in Chicago and I decided that I wanted to get away from moving place to place with Renee and her new husband Phil, so I opted to spend the rest of my high school years with my dad.

My first day at Silver High was very ordinary. I received the usual stares and looks of intrigue. Being a new student always attracted a lot of unwanted attention to me. I found a few friendly kids that first day and luckily took a liking to a few of them.

I could recall my memory of the sophomore boy with beautiful copper colored skin. His hair was longer than the other boys' and he gave me the brightest smile I had ever seen. I was in my physical education class and Coach Johnson decided against idling around even on the first day of class. I was stretching out on the clean track observing the sophomore boys' gym class when he ran up to me and introduced himself as Jacob Black. He exuded a sense of warmth and surprisingly, I wasn't uncomfortable that a total stranger was talking to me. I had confidence that I was going to see him again.

Jacob Black was extremely good looking, but the moment I stepped into 3rd period English Literature, my eyes fell onto the most beautiful person on the face of the planet. His bronze colored hair and his light skin immediately stood out among the sea of students. Breathlessly, I took the last remaining seat which was located behind him. As I walked past his seat, he looked up at me, probably curious about the new girl in school. He flashed a crooked grin when I caught my foot on his bag. I was flustered by his presence and I knew that I needed to know who this boy was.

There were two things that truly caught my attention that first day. The first was Jacob Black and the second was Edward Cullen.


	2. Chapter 2 Running with Jake

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

Okay, this chapter is meant to show more Jacob Bella interaction. I have more exciting plot pieces in mind, so I hope you don't think that all I am writing is character interaction. Hehe.

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I grabbed the shirt and shorts Jacob picked out for me from the small bed, smiling at the thought of Jacob searching confusedly around my room for my clothes. I was honestly pleased that Jake was so accustomed to my house that he could comfortably navigate around my messy room.

I got out of the sweatpants and sweater outfit I was wearing for our homework session and changed into the yellow running shorts and shirt I was holding in my hands. I wasn't surprised at all that he had picked the yellow ensemble. He liked to see bright colors, and they reflected his personality too.

I heard the scurrying of footsteps and saw Jacob's head sticking out from my doorway.

"You done, Bella? Come on… the weather's great now, but it's going to rain really soon. Can't you just feel it?"

I chuckled. "Jake, you're like my own personal weatherman. How in the world do you know this?"

Jacob walked over to my side of the room slowly with a mischievous grin on his face. I instinctively took a step backwards.

"Jake?" I whispered.

He suddenly grabbed me by my waist.

"I can smell it in the air" he grinned. "You know, I have a keen sense of smell. By the way Bells," he took a sniff at me, "you smell really great."

I giggled nervously about his and slapped his arm softly. He gave me a playful smile when he pretended to be hurt and left my room to wait for me downstairs.

* * *

I was still a bit surprised whenever Jacob said things like that to me. Originally, Jacob and I started off our relationship as friends. He always knew how to make me laugh and we would hang out a lot. I would tutor him for his math class and he would try to teach me occasionally about cars. I never actually learned much from those lessons in his garage. Jacob and I were good runners, so we would go out on daily runs, mainly to talk and be with each other.

He was my closest friend, even compared to Angela Weber, who was my best girl friend. Jacob and my relationship grew and I didn't really mind. I knew that Jacob liked me… a lot, and I depended on him way too much to turn him away. Besides, being with Jacob made me feel comfortable and safe, so I gave in to the contentment I felt with Jacob. After months of a flirty friendship, Jacob asked me to be his girlfriend, so I agreed.

Jacob was the only guy that I ever felt any sort of great affection towards, except for Edward Cullen. But I knew that whatever strange pulls Edward had on me was based on absolutely nothing. Whatever irrational feelings I possessed for Edward were pointless, because I had Jacob. Jacob cared for me, and there was no way that Edward would even have any interest in me. I was lucky to have Jake, and I wouldn't push it.

* * *

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when I heard Jake calling my name.

"Bella, you know I love you, but if I don't see you standing in front of me ready to go in the next minute, I'm leaving without you!"

I laughed at his impatience and ran downstairs. I saw the corners of his lips go up when he saw me standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"You wouldn't really leave without me, would you?" I faked a pout.

Jacob was about to answer me when I walked towards him. His body was in the doorway of the front of my house, with his arms resting on the side. I could tell his face was eager to leave. I took advantage of the contrast between his tall stature and my short height and ducked under his arm, running towards the sidewalk.

"Come on, Jake! For someone who wanted to go running so badly, you're kind of slow." I shouted, turning my head around to see a surprised smile on his face.

I picked up my pace, lifting my legs faster only to see Jacob running alongside me. We were now both running at the same speed with determined looks on our faces. I could see beads of sweat start to form on Jacob's face and I took some time to look at the features of his face. He really was very good looking, and I found myself smiling. He seemed to have seen me staring at him and gave me the large grin that I knew so well.

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Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Chapter 3 School

Disclaimer: Twilight is... Not Mine (cries)

Hi, I wanted to apologize for the random disappearance. I got really busy with exams and just totally ignored this story. I also wanted to say thanks for the reviews **mikenewtonisabadass**. You're really kind, and I think I am really lucky that your review was a nice one. A lot of people get really harsh criticism and I was afraid.

Anyways, yeah. This chapter is a longer than the other ones. I know it's annoying that nothing has happened yet, but things WILL. I'm determined to move things along, and things will pick up. I promise.

HEY- At least other people are in this chapter! P

Once again, thanks for reading this story! Feel free to review it and give me advice for... anything. I really do appreciate it.

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I heard a dull ringing sound and groaned loudly. My clock read 6:00 A.M. and I stumbled out of bed, wincing slightly. My legs were very sore from the run with Jake yesterday.

I got ready for school and was at the front door with my keys by 6:30 A.M. when I noticed a tired looking Charlie sitting in the kitchen reading the morning paper.

He looked up from the sports page looking confusedly at me.

"Bella… you're going already? What about breakfast?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd head out now. I don't think I'll be eating breakfast today."

"Doesn't school start a whole hour later? What's the rush?"

I could tell that he was suspicious of my hasty departure, so I decided to make up a quick story that would please him.

"I like to be early, and besides, there's some new construction going on and it might take a while to find a good parking spot. I don't want to get Mr. Donovan angry with me."

He seemed to buy my excuse. Charlie wasn't aware of the fact I had been leaving home earlier to drive Jacob to school for the past few weeks. He liked Jake, but was still skeptical of his younger age.

"Fine, but here," he walked over and handed me a packaged muffin, "I still want you to eat something. Breakfast is important, or so they say…"

I rolled my eyes and smiled at Charlie's occasional showing of affection.

"Thanks, Dad."

I was out of the door and in my red Chevrolet truck and I started up the car. I looked at the plastic packaging in my hand and sighed. Charlie didn't realize that I hated banana nut muffins. I knew that Jake would gladly eat my muffin and put it in the seat next to me.

* * *

I parked outside of Jacob's house when the front door opened and I could see Jake running outside to my car.

"Hey, Bella." He smiled at me when he saw the small gift in his seat.

"Get in, Jake. I didn't know you were going to be so happy just from a small muffin." I laughed.

He got in the car and shut the door.

"A growing boy's gotta eat!"

"Okay, okay _kid._" I emphasized the word kid because I knew he always got huffy when I reminded him that I was older than him.

"Bells, I'm not a _kid_. I already look like I'm a senior… in college!"

I laughed at Jake's defensive argument.

"Fine. I'll admit that you aren't a little kid anymore. And maybe you look like a freshman in college. Alright, I'll give you that."

Jacob had a grin on his face.

"Okay grandpa, put on your seatbelt. Mr. Donovan is going to freak out if I'm late."

I've used Mr. Donovan's literature class as an excuse twice this morning for going to school early, but I wasn't about to tell Jake or Charlie that the real reason I wanted to be on time was to see Edward Cullen.

* * *

When Jacob and I arrived to Silver High School, there were already a lot of people in the hallways.

"Isabella Swan…"

I heard my name being called, but my mind was elsewhere. Actually, I found my thoughts wandering around a lot lately. We were walking to my literature classroom when I blanked out. It's a surprise that I hadn't walked into another student yet, especially with my lack of coordination.

"Bella! Hello?"

I quickly turned my head toward the direction of the slightly irritated voice. I looked at his face and searched for signs of annoyance in his big brown eyes, concerned that he was really upset with me. The corners of his lips turned up slightly, amused.

"Bella, what's up? I know that you're prone to being a little out of it, but this is a bit weird," he said.

I could tell that he wasn't angry at me, but I knew that I'd have to give a good reason as to why I had been ignoring him for the past few minutes. His smile told me that he was still in a good mood from this morning, so I knew that he would drop the subject quickly.

"Nothing! I was just thinking about something and then I spaced out a bit."

"Should I be concerned that your mind is filled with thoughts other than me?" he asked, as he teasingly nudged me with his elbow.

His tone was joking, but his eyes expressed a slight worry that I really was losing interest in him.

"Jake, you worry too much. How do you know that I wasn't thinking about you?" I replied, with a small grin. I was trying to convince Jake not to worry, but I knew that there was good reason for his concern.

My steps slowed down when we reached the classroom door. I waited for Jacob to leave for his pre-calculus class. Standing opposite us was Edward Cullen, leaning on the lockers. His lips were moving quickly, while he was speaking to his sister, Alice.

I knew that Jacob was still standing next to me, but my eyes were still on Edward Cullen. I had been staring at him for a bit when I heard a high pitched sound breaking my intense staring session.

"...Isabella Swan, right?" the high voice asked again.

Jacob tapped my shoulder and told me "Bells, Alice Cullen is calling you… I didn't know you guys were friends."

I looked at him, confused. "I didn't know either. Maybe she wants to ask me something about Calculus."

I started to walk over to the two pale and beautiful people standing across from me when I saw Edward Cullen looking at me with a smile on his face, like he was in on some sort of joke. It suddenly occurred to me that he probably caught me looking at him. I could feel a rush of blood on my cheeks as I blushed.

At that moment, the corners of Edward's lips curved downwards into an angry grimace. He shot me a pained look.

As I walked closer, I could hear him say through his gritted teeth "I can't handle it Alice. She's too… I'm sorry." With that, he took off in a quick blur away from me and towards the other side of the school.

I had no idea what had just happened. I didn't want to believe that he was talking about me, but I felt my heart sink. I tried not to let any tears form in my eyes when I saw a pair of kind topaz eyes looking at me.

Alice smiled at me apologetically, and I remembered that I had no idea why I was standing in front of this short pixie-like girl.

As if on cue, Alice suddenly spoke up "You're Isabella Swan, right?"

"Yeah, I am. You can call be Bella, though," I replied.

"We're in Calculus together. You seem really nice, I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with me later. Lunch gets pretty dull without Jasper here. Wait. Do you know who Jasper is?"

I nodded. The Cullens and the Hales were not very forgettable. Jasper Hale was Alice's boyfriend. He was gone for college, but I didn't remember exactly where he was attending.

"Jasper's at Cornell now, and I hope you understand why I would be so bored with just Edward around. You could help me out in Calculus, if you wish."

I was surprised to hear that Alice wanted my help in math, because from what I could observe in class, she was doing extremely well. She always answered correctly and aced her tests. Still, I knew that Jacob and Angela's lunch periods were different from mine today, so I accepted her offer by nodding slowly… again.

Alice let out a small giggle and looked at me.

"Let's stay in school for lunch. The rain is going to be a pain for you to drive in."

I just nodded my head like an idiot. I was aware that the sky outside hadn't held a single cloud from when I was driving, but I didn't question her. Her comment sounded vaguely familiar.

She still looked at me with a smile, but seemed a bit confused at my silence.

"Okay, Bella. I guess I'll catch you later then. See you!" she waved goodbye and walked in the direction of the athletic wing.

When she was already halfway down the hall, the words "Bye, Alice" slipped out of my mouth.

I knew that she was already too far away to have heard me, but I could have sworn that I saw Alice's shoulders shaking from a small chuckle at my late response. Strange...

* * *

I turned around and saw Jake looking at me with a very confused expression on his face. I stumbled over to him, expecting a bunch of questions. Not many people speak with the Cullens, and I knew that it was a rare occasion when one of them calls you over.

Before Jacob could even ask, I told him about what Alice asked me.

"Alice wants me to eat lunch with her today. Weird, huh?" I asked.

Jacob nodded, "Yeah… I wonder why. Did Edward Cullen want something also?"

I could see Jacob's eyes narrowing when he said Edward's name, and I felt my own sadness in my voice when I answered "No, he didn't. He left before I got over there."

Suddenly, the warning bell sounded in the hall and I saw Jacob getting ready to leave for his class. He looked at me and hesitated. I could tell that he wasn't sure if he could kiss me goodbye. I quickly hugged him instead.

"I will see you later in gym, Jacob Black. You should be afraid, because I'm going to beat you in today's race" I teased as I let go of his burning body and grabbed for the door.

Jacob let out a deep laugh and said "Bye. You are so funny like that, that's why I love you, Bella."

_I love you._

I didn't know when I'd be able to repeat the words back to Jacob. I waved back at him and walked into class, with the phrase engraved in my mind. I felt guilty, but I had to admit that I liked hearing those words. The only problem was that they had come from the wrong person's lips.

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**Thanks again for reading! Lol. I think I'll be updating a lot more because it is summer. I hope you enjoy the story.**

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	4. Chapter 4 Edward's POV

**Disclaimer: Ha! I wish.**

**Hello!**

**I want to apologize for this chapter because there is nothing new. I wrote this chapter in Edward's point of view for my own personal reasons. I'm working some things out in my head and trying to get rid of any confusion. I just want to say to writers out there who frequently write in EPOV… WOW GOOD JOB. It's really difficult (for me at least)!**

**Oh, anyways. Yes, I will move the plot soon enough. There will be Edward/Jacob rivalry and there will be actual EDWARD/BELLA stuff happening. It's summer and I can come up with some new ideas and write them more quickly, so please be patient with me.**

**Like I said, this chapter was just something for myself. I was trying to figure stuff out, and I may end up confusing you more… sorry. Hehehe, well feel free to continually give me great advice. I almost feel sorry that I'm not incorporating the criticism into my writing yet. I will. I am listening, and I am working on moving things along with more drama. I PROMISE. :)**

* * *

**Edward's POV**

It was too dangerous to be around her. Just remembering the color of pink that rushed to her cheeks as she walked towards me was enough to drive me crazy. I could taste the venom in my mouth as I sat in my car, staring at the outdoor track field. I didn't understand how such a small human had become such a threat to me.

I repeated "Bella Swan is just an ordinary girl" in my head and searched my mind for clues as to how I turned into this pitiful creature, hiding in a car to avoid a girl.

I remembered the tragic day Isabella Swan entered my life.

* * *

The previous year, I was sitting in my Biology class a whole half hour before school began, because Alice had seen the weather clearing up right before school. Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, and I found it best to avoid the sun.

The low buzzing noise of students' thoughts was usually painted with trivial gossip, but one name was repeated in many minds. There must have been a new student in school, and judging from the thoughts of the teenage boys, she was quite attractive. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the silly desires of adolescent boys.

The name _Bella Swan_ had not died down by the end of the period, and I was tired of this character and annoyed by the small student population that took the small news of a new student and blew it out of proportion.

I went to my next class and carried out my monotonous schedule. It wasn't difficult to maneuver through the hallways with my accelerated speed.

Third period. I found myself sitting in the literature classroom, waiting for a chance to talk to my brothers and sisters at lunch. I knew that Jasper was struggling, and I wanted to keep a close eye on him.

I was concentrating on listening for Jasper's thoughts when the aroma of freesias hit me. A girl with brown hair had walked into the room, weaving through the rows of desks. She had a pretty face, but she did not ever strike me as being a modelesque type, like Rosalie. Plain, even. She stumbled to her seat behind mine and I found it humorous.

_This_ was the girl who was turning heads in the hallway? Most definitely, her floral scent was etched in my mind, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. It was appetizing, but that was why decades of training were useful. There was nothing extraordinary about her. She was actually quite clumsy, from what I could tell.

* * *

After months of observing Bella Swan in class and in the hallways, she continued to surprise me. For one thing, I found that I couldn't read her thoughts. This made me concerned at first, but it shouldn't be a huge problem. She was probably just thinking about the same things that her peers were worried with. It was actually quite nice to have one less voice to be bothered by.

But as I heard her taking part in discussions, I found the desire to hear her thoughts grow. She was… intelligent and was passionate about the arguments she presented. I wanted to know about her past and about what had made her the person she was now. Each passing day of class with her, I even found her scent to be more irresistible.

Not only was the desire to kill her present in me, but each time she would fall or trip in school, the urge to catch her showed up. I would grimace whenever another boy thought of her in a physical way, and the emotions I felt were foreign to me. I knew that as her blood was increasingly tempting to me, and I would have to keep my distance from her.

* * *

And so with that, I never spoke to Bella. I was afraid of the thirsty beast in me, but also the vulnerable person in me as well. I had gone so long without having any of my siblings realize anything was wrong.

But this year, without Jasper to entertain her, Alice has become even more perceptive than usual. We were in lunch when I was monitoring Bella's movements out of corner of my eye. I thought Alice had been so engrossed in talking about some fashion show in Milan, but she had apparently noticed my suspicious behavior.

"Edward- why are you so concentrated on Bella Swan?" she asked me in her thoughts.

"I wasn't," I grumbled. There was no way to get out of this discussion with Alice.

"Do you… like her?" Alice blurted out loud.

"Alice, don't' be foolish. You know I don't bother with things like that" I shushed. My eyes narrowed at her.

"This is so exciting. My dear brother is all grown up and has a crush!"

"I am already well past 100 years old, I've already "grown up"."

There was a big grin on Alice's face and excitement in her eyes.

"Does she like you? Did you check her thoughts? She has a boyfriend already, doesn't she? But I know all of the other girls are totally in love with you even without being able to read their minds. They talk about you in the locker rooms when I get ready for dance class. It gets to be a little annoying, if you do ask me. Maybe Bella is attracted to you also."

I gave in to her definition of my feelings for Bella as being a _crush._ Sure, I knew that I had little to base the pull she had on me on, but I would go along with Alice for now. It was easier to agree with Alice.

I whispered softly "The thing is… I can't read her thoughts."

Alice bit her lip in confusion and got quiet.

I searched her mind for any sign of what Alice was thinking about.

I could hear Alice thinking "No, this won't do at all. How will I ever get Edward and Bella together?"

I responded quickly. "Alice, Bella is already seeing Jacob Black. I've seen them together. Besides, did you forget that we are _different_? I can't even be with Bella because half of me wants to kill her."

I let out a loud groan because I knew that Alice had not been listening to a word I had said. The pixie was already coming up with plans to invite her to sit with us at lunch the next day.

* * *

And that was the reason I was sitting in my car, watching the gym classes head back into the school building. I could not handle being so close to Bella for fear that I would kill her, but also because I was… afraid to talk to her.

I still couldn't believe that Alice invited Bella to "eat" lunch with us. _How ironic. _I was surprised that I had run away like that when Bella approached Alice and me, but I was determined to deal with the problem.

I decided that I would go back to school and join Bella and Alice for lunch.


	5. Chapter 5 Jacob Punch and Cullen Lunch

**Disclaimer:** It's almost like you're taunting me.

Wow, this was a pretty long chapter for me to write. Hmm, I apologize if there are some random mistakes in this chapter; I was tired when I typed it! I hope you like it, though. :)

Thanks for the reading and the reviewing!

* * *

"How does the suicidal impulse that both Romeo and Juliet exhibit relate to the overall theme of young love?"

I looked around the classroom and saw the other students' eyes avoiding Mr. Donovan and his question. On any other day, I would have been more than happy to voice my thoughts, but I was too preoccupied by the confusing invitation Alice Cullen presented to me. I also noticed that the seat in front of me was empty.

Edward wasn't even in class. I searched my brain for any clues as to why he was avoiding me. Was he angry at me? Had I done something to hurt him? Maybe he had noticed my strange obsession with him and was uncomfortable. I groaned at my pathetic and creepy behavior. The rest of the classes were followed by more of these nerve-racking questions.

By 3rd period, I had debated every possible reason Edward Cullen was avoiding me. I was ready to clear my mind and P.E. was the perfect solution. At Silver High, the juniors and seniors were given the option of taking gym class electives. When creating my schedule, I weighed the chances of being injured… or hurting someone else for each class offered. I considered my lack of grace and coordination in making my decision. My safest bet was the track program, which mostly involved training for students who did cross country or track as their extra curricular sport. Jacob was a junior, so he opted to join me in Coach Johnson's class.

After getting changed into the green and yellow gym uniform, I walked past the mirrors in the girls' locker room and walked out to the track to see a crowd of boys in the same colors I was dressed in. I smiled to myself. I had always thought it was strange how Silver High's School colors were green and gold, with no sign of silver anywhere.

I was slowly making my way to the group that was stretching when I felt a pair of warm hands grab me from behind. I let out a small shriek and turned around to see Jacob smiling.

"Jake, you scared me!" I wiggled out of his arms and pushed him away lightly. It was then that I noticed that Jacob's skin was burning up- he seemed to be running a fever. I looked up at him and put my hand to his forehead. "Are you feeling alright, Jacob?"

He looked down at me confusedly. "Yeah, I think so. I'm feeling a little weird, but nothing's wrong. Why?"

"You're really hot!"

Jacob started to laugh "Why, thank you. It's always nice to hear."

I turned around and started to join the others for attendance. "Fine, Handsome. Why don't you and your pretty face go to the nurse?"

"No, I'll be fine. I promise."

I made my way to Coach Johnson and signed in when I saw Mike Newton approaching me.

"Hey, Bella" he smiled at me in his soccer jersey.

"Hi, Mike. What are you doing here? I thought you were in Team Sports. Don't you guys meet over in the soccer field?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to come over here and say hi. I actually had a question for you."

I could see Jacob standing by the track, watching us talk with his fists clenched. Mike must have noticed this too, and decided to continue testing Jacob's self control.

"What do you see in that guy?"

I looked at Mike in surprise, and then at Jacob. He was standing in a defensive stance with a strange look on his face.

"Jacob?"

"Yeah, Bella. He's just a stupid junior" Mike's voice got louder as he got riled up "Bella, I've liked you since last year. I'm better for you. I could give you so much more than he can, in more ways than one. Don't tell me that you would really rather be with that juvenile Jacob guy than me."

I started "Mi-Mike. I'm sor-..." but all of a sudden, Mike was no longer standing in front of me, but was down on the grass.

In confusion, I looked up and saw Jacob hovering over Mike's body, shaking. Other students' eyes were on us and I saw Mike struggling to stand up. The teachers outside were approaching the two boys when I looked at Jacob's trembling arms. He looked so _different_.

"Jacob, what were you thinking?" I hissed.

"I- Bella, sorry. I… have to go, I don't know what's going on right now." Jacob's eyes were opened big and he looked at his shaking hands with fear.

He turned towards the teachers and put his hand up "I know that I'll be sent home. I'll go to the Dean."

I had never seen Jacob acting so violently before and I was troubled by the sight of Jacob looking so pained and confused about what he had just done.

The rest of the students were looking at a disheveled Mike and at me with curiosity in their faces. Coach Johnson took this opportunity of silence to corral us back into our gym classes. I participated in class as I would normally have and tried to ignore the whispers and fingers pointed at me.

At this point, I was thoroughly baffled by the events of the day, and I knew that in a few minutes, I would go to lunch and sit with Alice Cullen. I was slightly concerned about what would happen, but I had a secret desire to speak to Alice, and hopefully would see Edward at lunch also.

I walked into the cafeteria and bought the quickest thing I could find. I carried my tray holding a simple pizza slice and water towards the back corner of the east side of the lunch room. It wasn't hard to find Alice Cullen. She and her family had been sitting on that table for their entire stay at Silver High.

I saw the dark haired girl smile as she waved me over. I walked carefully over to the seat opposite her and sat down.

"Um… hi, Alice." I mumbled.

Alice looked at me and let out a lyrical giggle.

"The boy from before school… Jacob Black, was it?"

I couldn't believe that I was sitting with Alice Cullen, and we were talking about Jacob. Out of all of the things we could be discussing, she wanted to know about Jake. I looked at her suspiciously.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

Alice lifted her fork and played with the salad in front of her.

"Nothing. He seems very…" her eyes narrowed "interesting."

I was unsure what to make of Alice's weird question about Jake and was about to reach for the pizza slice when Alice started to speak.

"Bella, you must be surprised that I asked you over here."

I responded, slightly flustered "Yeah, a little."

I looked around and saw other students staring at me for the second time today.

"I guess you should be, since you're the first person to sit with any of us in all 3 years of going to this school."

I asked "You came here as a sophomore?"

Alice let out a small laugh "Yes. Not many people know about us here, and you came here last year, so I didn't expect you to know that. What have you heard about us infamous Cullens?"

I thought for a little bit, trying to decide what to say.

"Well, all I know is that you, Jasper, Emm…ett?" I looked up at Alice to make sure I had said her mammoth older brother's name correctly.

Alice nodded.

"Umm… Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward were adopted by Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I know your dad because he took care of Charlie during an accident."

I remembered the night clearly. I was in my room reading a book when I heard the phone ring. Charlie was on duty that night, so I found my way to the telephone. Soon after hearing the news from Charlie's police friend, I found no time to change out of my pajamas. I just grabbed my keys and sped to the hospital. I found Charlie sleeping in his room where a handsome doctor was checking some charts. I remember staring at the movie-star doctor when he glanced up from the papers and saw me.

"Hi, I'm Charlie's doctor, Carlisle Cullen. Are you his daughter?"

"Yeah, I am. Is he… going to be alright?" I asked in a scratchy voice.

"Don't be too worried. The gunshot was not fatal, and your father will be fine."

I nodded my head slowly and took a look at Charlie's tired and aged face.

A high lilting voice brought me back to the present.

"Yup, Carlisle is a great doctor. He loves his work. Did you actually know that Edward is considering following in his footsteps?"

"No, I didn't. I've actually never spoken to Edward before. I don't think he… cares to do so, either" I murmured.

Alice gave me a weak smile.

"You really should cut him some slack. He's really trying hard."

Edward was trying to get to know me? If so, then why would he be avoiding me?  
I asked, "Trying hard to do what?"

Alice leaned in closer to me and whispered "You should know that Edward's actually interested in getting to know you. It's a bit more difficult for him, though… there are some circumstances."

Circumstances? I was concentrating on Alice's words so carefully that it wasn't until I saw a shadow on the table that I realized Edward Cullen was standing next to me.

Before I could react, Edward sat in the seat next to Alice and looked in my direction.

"Hello. My name is Edward Cullen. I don't think I've ever properly introduced myself to you yet."

I managed to cough out "Hi. Yeah, I know you are. We were in Mr. Donovan's English Literature class for the last two years."

He smiled at me and gave me a quick nod.

"So we were. I take it that Alice has already told you a little bit about us?"

Alice said softly, "Just the very basics, Edward."

He leaned back and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Well, Bella, why don't you tell us about yourself?"

For some reason, my mouth opened and words came out without any hesitation.

"Umm… I moved here last year, I think you remember… I live with Charlie, my dad. He works as a cop in the city. I used to live with my mom Renee, but then she got married to Phil. She's off living in who-knows-where now and I decided that I needed some type of stability."

Edward looked at me intently.

"Does that bother you? Renee and Phil living like that?"

I shrugged.

"Not really. I'm pretty happy here, and it's about time Renee start to live her life without me cradling her."

Edward continued to ask me all sorts of questions about my life while Alice would listen carefully, and I didn't realize that most of the lunch period had passed already.

Alice finally spoke up and asked "So you and Jacob met last year?"

I was surprised that Alice had brought up her curiosity in Jacob again.

"I guess so…"

Edward looked around the cafeteria and then back at me.

"Is this Jacob the same one who was sent home last period for punching Mike Newton?"

News must really travel very quickly in a small school.

I nodded, "Yeah. Jake can get a little bit defensive sometimes, especially about me."

A small smile formed on Edward's lips.

I continued, "But he's really my best friend. He's loyal and means well, even though he is acting strange lately."

I stared at the table and sighed softly, "Maybe he's getting sick."

Alice suddenly asked, "What makes you say that?"

I looked up at Alice and saw her staring at me intensely, waiting for my answer.

"Hm? That he's sick? Oh, I think he had a fever today. He was burning up, there might be a bug going around."

Alice turned towards her brother with a worried glance. Edward looked like he was concerned about Alice's response, but was deep in thought.

Alice snapped out of her worried reaction and directed her attention towards me.

"Bella, I know this might be a very strange request, but can you try to stay away from your boyfriend Jacob for a little while?"

She continued in a nervous tone "Carlisle… warned us that there might be a very highly contagious virus… that is extremely dangerous. Jacob might have it, and… it's too dangerous for you to be around him."

I let out a small chuckle at their seriousness.

"Um, I don't think it was that serious, Alice."

Edward shot me a pleading look.

"Bella- please. We just don't want to see you getting hurt."

Alice interjected "Sick. Edward means sick."

I shrugged, confused at Alice and Edward's strange behavior.

"Alright, I guess I can."

Right then, the passing bell echoed in the cafeteria. Alice, Edward, and I got up from the table and walked towards the lunchroom doors. I never actually got a chance to eat any of my lunch, and instantly regretted not taking Charlie's muffin for myself. I realized that neither Alice nor Edward had eaten anything for lunch either. Edward didn't bring any food to the table, and I was trying to remember if Alice had even touched her salad when I failed to notice the large metal doorstop on the floor. My foot caught hold of the object and I knew that I was going to fall. I was waiting for the impact when I felt… cold.

I heard Alice's soft chuckling in the background when I looked up to see Edward giving me a crooked smile as he was holding me. I immediately felt the contrast between Jacob's warmth and Edward's chilling touch.

Edward whispered "I've always wanted to catch you when you fell."

I could feel my cheeks warm as I blushed. I looked into his topaz colored eyes and felt my heart beat quicken.

Edward suddenly froze and returned me to stand on my own.

He moved away from me with a quick pace, muttering something similar to "… shouldn't even be here… selfish creature…" very quietly.

I stared at Edward, and Alice gave me another sympathetic smile. She pulled me to keep walking to class, as Edward followed along, still keeping his distance.

At the end of the hallway, Alice made a left turn towards her class after giving me a hug.

"Lunch was fun, Bella. We must do it again next time."

I was surprised at her affectionate gesture and agreed. Edward and I were left to continue with a right turn, and I could feel him looking at me as we walked towards the science wing of the school. Embarrassed, I lowered my head, letting my hair drop and stared downwards at the floor.

A smooth voice asked "Where are you going now?"

So Edward was talking to me again.

I responded curtly "Physics".

Edward looked intrigued and replied "I think your class is next to mine."

I nodded, but I was still distressed at Edward's constantly puzzling behavior.

Edward continued "Is something wrong?"

"No."

Edward said confidently "Something is bothering you".

I looked up at him and I blurted "Well, something is bothering me. I don't know if this is just me being crazy, but I think you're angry at me, avoiding me, or something. One second you're talking to me, and the other, you're totally ignoring me. I'm just really confused."

Edward gave a small sigh. After a few seconds, the corners of his lips turned upwards in a small smile, but there was sadness in his eyes.

"You are very observant, Bella. But I'm not angry at you. I was- however, keeping my distance from you."

I knew that the hurt from his words showed up on my face, because Edward paused briefly.

"…Your safety… well, that doesn't matter anymore, because I've given up on that. You are far too interesting for me to ignore. Also, how can I be sure that you won't fall and crack your skull without me there to catch you?"

I was immediately embarrassed.

"How do you know that I'm a klutz?"

Edward started to laugh, "Were you not present just a minute ago when you fell? It's easy to know that you're a klutz when you're constantly tripping in the hallway."

I remembered the amount of times my lack of coordination landed me on the floor or bumping into another person in the hallway. I realized that I couldn't argue with Edward.

He seemed to see my agreement on the subject and smiled.

"I see that I've proven my point."

I had so many questions that I wanted to ask Edward. In particular, why had he been trying to avoid me before? But I decided that today was not the day to push my luck.

I smiled bashfully and arrived in front of Edward and my classroom doors.

I looked up at Edward and he gestured towards my classroom.

"I believe this is your stop."

I looked at the door and found myself biting my lip.

"It is."

He opened my classroom door and grinned at me.

"I guess I will see you later, Ms. Swan."

"Bye, Edward."

I walked into the classroom feeling a wave of emotions crashing in me. I was confused and slightly hurt by what Edward had said to me, but I was still excited to learn about Edward's revelation. He couldn't ignore me anymore… whatever that meant, I was still elated.

* * *

**Hahaha, so I guess my chapter was pretty long.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Author's Note 1 Break

**Dear Readers,**

I know that I've been on this really long break from writing anything. And I apologize. I'm actually writing this note to let you know that this story is officially on hiatus… the reason being that I have come up with a new idea for a story.

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Originally, I intended Running From Love to be a way for me to practice some fun writing and a means to experiment with the characters from Twilight. And now, I want to work on something a bit more serious, or not. I don't really know how my next story will turn out. Maybe I'll take a chance at something funny? Angst-y? Romantic? Horror? Definitely not horror…

Once again, thanks for reading this story. I'll update RFL when I feel like I've written something more…worthy for readers. But as for now, my attention in directed towards my new story, and this time, with the help of my "sort-of beta-ish readers" and friends** cachstardust** and** starrylove**, I hope you present you with a good tale.

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For those who are intrigued by or love the Esme and Carlisle couple, I highly recommend that you read **"That Place By Me"** by cachstardust. It's a relatively new story that she's been working on, but I promise you that it is wonderfully written and quite lovely. Her writing is absolutely fabulous.

And for the readers who love the classic Edward and Bella pairing, I suggest that you read starrylove's **"Eternal Midnight"**. This is also a story that she started writing, and it is a great read for those who love Edward and Bella romance and angst. She is also a great and fantastic writer.

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I will thank you all one last time, and I'll put up another note when I get my new story up. You might be interested to know that it will be a story involving Tanya... ; )

Happy Reading!

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Love,

Hanna


	7. Author's Note PREVIEW UP

Author's Note:

I have a **tiny excerpt** of my new story added on the fanfiction website! You can find it in my user profile page or search for the story **Seeing Clearly with the Heart. **Why don't you check it out and let me know what you think?

Thank you for reading : ) ! I appreciate it.


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